Rapid advancements in geospatial technologies and location-based data analysis converge, replacing countless bars and boxes with state-of the-art electronic monitoring for low-risk offenders. “Virtual incarceration” combines cutting-edge technologies — wearable and mobile computing, remote check-ins and one-touch access to support services — with cognitive restructuring techniques to achieve the goals of protection, retribution and rehabilitation. The new model has economic implications, as prisons often have served as vital sources of employment in rural areas.